All I Need To Know
by Mormeril
Summary: The result of an E/E Plot Bunny attack while I was out of town. Enjolras tries to interfere when he sees Montparnasse attacking Eponine, drawing her attention to him for the first time, and increasing the interest that he already had in her. Closest thing to an M rated fic I've ever written, but I don't think it's quite M rated yet, but that might change. E/E, of course.
1. Prologue

**So, I've been out of town, and Eponine's Tale is only save on my desktop, which, naturally, is back home, away from me, so I'm left with only my netbook, which only has Let's Torture Enjolras on it, and that, of course, is an E/M fic, but I've been really wanting to write E/E, so that's when I got htis idea. Hope you guys like it! By the way, I'm not Catholic, but I really like the new Pope, simply because he sounds like a real life Bishop if Digne. Anyone else see the resemblance?**

All I Need To Know

_Prologue_

The scrawny gamine was as careful as a frightened doe as she carefully made her way down the dark streets of St Michel. The poorer parts of Paris could be dangerous at night, something she knew all too well, being the daughter of one of the most dangerous men in the city, and associating with all of the most dangerous men in the city, the rest being the members of her father's gang.

She heard a sound behind her, and she quickly backed herself against a wall, freezing in place. While her father's gang was overall the most dangerous group of men in Paris during the day, at night the streets could be full of drunks, who were equally as dangerous, unless her father's gang was also drunk, in which case they were still far more dangerous. Especially her father himself, and his second in command-

"Montparnasse," she hissed as the assassin suddenly appeared right in front of her.

"No need to be so cold-hearted, 'Ponine," he said with a smirk, stepping closer. She crinkled her nose at the scent of alcohol on his breath. Just her luck. A heartless killer who was also drunk.

"It's your own fault for trying to sneak up on me," she replied coldly, trying to walk away while still keeping her distance. Despite being drunk, however, he was able to notice her attempts and stopped her, placing his hands on the wall on either side of her, trapping her there.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"he asked, his eyes narrowing as he began to move closer to her. "Trying to find that bourgeois boy you like so much?"

"No, I'm looking for my brother," she replied angrily. "Now let me go, 'Parnasse."

"I don't think so," he replied, smirking, stepping even closer. She had somehow not realized just how close he was, but their chests were now touching. A warning bell went off in her head, and she tried to back away from hm, pressing herself even more tightly to the wall. He responded by moving even closer.

"Parnasse, get of-" she started to say, but he silenced her by pressing his mouth forcefully against hers, drowning out her words with an aggressive kiss. She gasped in surprise, regretting her response instantly as he took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth.

He pulled her off the wall and into his arms, crushing her tiny body against his own muscular one. For a brief moment, she tried to just let go and imagine that it was Marius, but then she felt his hands trailing down lower, and something hard poking into her thigh, and she started to fight back, struggling to get out of his grip. But he was bigger than her, and stronger.

"Now, now, 'Ponine, play nicely," he purred, his lips a mere centimetre from her own, their foreheads touching. She shuddered out of fear, but he clearly mistook it for desire as he pulled her somehow even closer to him for a second before backing her into a wall, one hand holding her there, the other moving to his belt.

Her mind reeled in terror, and she did the only thing she could think of and jerked her knee up viciously between his legs before bolting as he yelled in pain, only to trip, her small body crashing to the ground.

Montparnasse recovered faster than she had anticipated, and before she could stand again, she felt a sharp kick to her side, making her hiss in pain.

"You'll pay for that you little slut," he growled in her ear as he forced her onto her back, his hands moving to her throat as he straddled her. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying for it to just end quickly, certain that there was no possible way for her to escape now.

"Eponine?"

Her heart sunk in her chest. She actually would have preferred for Montparnasse to succeed n having his way with her than for Marius to have found her in that situation.

"She's a little busy at the moment, M'sieurs," Montparnasse growled, looking up from her face.

_M'sieurs?_ She groaned inwardly. Even worse. Marius was with at least one of his friends.

"Busy of her own choosing, or of yours?"

Brilliant. Just brilliant. Of all the friends he had to be with when finding her like this, it had to be Enjolras, the stone-cold revolutionary leader. However, his words did get Montparnasse off of her, and the second she could move again, she rolled onto her side, breathing heavily as she tried to regain her breath.

"You back off and mind your own business," Montparnasse spat. " My 'Ponine doesn't need you bloody bourgeois boys trying to interfere in her life."

"'Parnasse," Eponine whispered, coughing.

"Why not let the mademoiselle speak for herself?" Enjolras questioned.

"Enjolras," Marius said warningly. Eponine grimaced. Marius' friend certainly wouldn't know what he was getting into, picking a fight with Montparnasse.

"My 'Ponine is no lady, m'sieur," Montparnasse sneered.

"I'm not _your _'Ponine, 'Parnasse!" she yelled furiously standing, sick of him constantly trying to claim she belonged to him. "I don't belong to _anyone_!" She tried to slap him across the face, but he was faster and shoved her to the ground.

"Shut up, you bitch," he snarled as she fell. She hissed as she scraped her hands on the pavement.

"Leave her alone," she heard Enjolras say, his voice sounding deadly. She looked up to see him advancing slowly towards Montparnasse, his hands balled into fists while Marius simply stood there gaping. A glint of metal caught her gaze, and her eyes widened. Montparnasse had pulled out his knife.

"Make me," Montparnasse snarled.

"'Parnasse!" she exclaimed, standing, not entirely sure of what she was doing. But she had his attention now, he was focused on her, not Enjolras, which was certainly a start. She stood quickly, and hurried back to him. His eyes were narrowed menacingly.

"Stay out of it, 'Ponine," he growled, but she shook her head.

"Just leave him, 'Parnasse," she pleaded, grasping the hand that wasn't holding the knife. "He's not worth it, he's just a stupid little bourgeois boy." She was certain that she would be getting an earful the next time she saw Marius and Enjolras due to her choice of words, but she also knew that her words just might save their lives.

"And what do I get if I leave them alone?" Montparnasse asked her, his eyes glinting. She took a deep breath. That was what she had been afraid of.

"I'll go with you, I won't try to fight or anything, I swear," she said as calmly as she could.

Montparnasse's face softened then, and for the briefest moment she thought he was smiling, and she could see the boy he had been before, the boy she had been good friends with, but then it was gone, and he grabbed her wrist tightly.

"Consider yourselves lucky that 'Ponine here spoke up for you and I have a soft spot for her," he told Marius and Enjolras menacingly before dragging Eponine away.

As they left, Eponine turned to give a last glance at Marius and Enjolras. Marius was still gaping like an idiot, but Enjolras looked furious, as if he wanted nothing more than to chase after them and beat Montparnasse into a pulp. With a small sigh, she shook her head nearly imperceptibly. _Please don't do something you'll regret,_ she pleaded in her head. Thankfully, Marius at least seemed to understand and grabbed Enjolras' arm, whispering something to him before both turned and left.

She couldn't help but wonder, though, why Enjolras had shown so much concern for her when they had rarely spoken, while Marius, her best friend in the world, the man she loved, had gaped like a fool. She couldn't figure out why.

But then they were back at the inn, in her room, and Montparnasse's lips were on her again, and she stopped caring, and simply tried to imagine Marius in his place, just as she always did.


	2. Chapter 1

**I'm honestly amazed at how quickly I've been writing this. r&r!**

Chapter 1

"Did he hurt you?" The rather sharp question startled Eponine out of her daydream that she'd been having while gazing intently at Marius. Of course, the question didn't surprise Eponine nearly half as much as the person who had asked it of her.

"No more than usual," she replied just as sharply to Enjolras, shooting a quick glare at him. She hadn't even realized that he had sat next to her, she had been so lost in thought.

"Why do you waste your time on him?" Enjolras asked her suddenly, changing the topic just as quickly as he raised it. "He's completely blind, and obviously an idiot for not being able to see you."

Eponine scowled. "I wouldn't expect a marble statue such as yourself to understand. You're entirely immune to human emotions. You probably wouldn't know love if it came up and kissed you," she scoffed as she stood and walked away, limping slightly, opened the door and left. Only to wince in pain moments later as someone grabbed her wrist.

"You're hurt."

She rolled her eyes in annoyance as sh turned to glare at Enjolras, pulling her wrist out of his grasp. "No, really? Well just so you know, I am not some delicate little flower, I can handle a bit of pain, I've been handling it most of my life. I don't need you to interfere, I've never needed that before-"

"That's not what it looked like last night."

"I hope you realize that I actually saved your life last night. If I hadn't spoken up, Montparnasse would have killed you." She had crossed her arms across her chest and was gazing at him intently, her eyes cold and her expression just as serious as Enjolras'.

Enjolras raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"He's a killer, and nothing more. He would have killed you without a second thought. He was actually about to. You're lucky I saw that knife of his before it was too late."

"I could have fought him off-"

"He had a knife, and he's killed before. Lots of people. You wouldn't have stood a chance. He is nothing but a cold-hearted killer, Enjolras. Trust me."

"And you willingly left with him?" Enjolras was clearly surprised.

Eponine shrugged. "I've known him since we were children. I don't think that he would kill _me_, at least not on purpose. He hurts me, true, but he wouldn't kill me. Not unless-" she cut herself off, shaking her head.

"Not unless what?"

"I- I can't say, I probably shouldn't have told you everything I just did, I don't even know why I did," she replied, biting her lip and looking at the ground.

"Eponine-"

"Why did you even try to interfere last night?" she asked, looking up at him again.

"Marius saw you, recognized you, and then when I saw what was going on, I... You looked like you needed help." She looked back up at him, and saw the honesty in his eyes. Nervous and afraid, but not knowing why she felt that way, she took a step back.

"I don't _need_ help, not from anyone!" she retorted, refusing to appear even the slightest bit weak, even though he had already seen her at her worst.

"Not even from Pontmercy?" Enjolras shot back. Eponine jerked her head back up to glare at him, feeling the sting of his verbal attack. "Because it certainly looks like you _want_ him to help you."

Tears pricked at her eyes, but she refused to shed them. "For someone who wants to help me, you're sure as Hell acting a _lot_ like Montparnasse right now," she hissed.

Enjolras blinked in surprise, and Eponine nearly regretted her choice of words. Nearly, but not quite. "But what more could I expect from a cold-hearted marble statue who knows _nothing_ about the feelings of others? All you know is that stuff you learn from books, nothing about real life!"

"Then why don't you teach me?"

For once in her life, Eponine found herself struck speechless.

"What?" she finally managed to choke out, entirely stunned.

Enjolras didn't respond for a moment, and she realized that he had probably spoken without thinking first, and was now trying to figure out exactly what he had meant.

"You say I know nothing about real life, which is something that could be useful for the revolution, so why don't you teach me?"

Eponine raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Are you, the Great Marble Statue revolutionary, asking_ me_, Eponine Thenardier, the daughter of a common thief, for help?"

Enjolras grinned slightly. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Eponine smirked. "You should smile more often, you actually look almost human when you do." Her comment instantly wiped the smile off of his face. "So," she continued, "What exactly do you propose?"

"Well, there's space in my house, and it's probably safer for you there than-"

"Wait, is this just some sort of excuse to get me away from Montparnasse?" she asked, her gaze suddenly turning deadly, fire in her eyes.

"No, no, that's not it, not that that wouldn't be a good bonus, but-"

"Why do you even care enough to talk to me now? You never did before!" Eponine asked finally, asking the question that had been bothering her for nearly twenty four hours.

Enjolras was clearly startled. "Well, I-" he stammered, and Eponine found herself suddenly amused. _Of course,_ she thought, _what else should I have expected He avoids women like the plague. I guess that this is why._

"What's this? Do I actually have the marble revolutionary leader tongue-tied?" she asked, deliberately mocking him. Those words would sting him painfully, and she knew it, yet she didn't care. Feeling confident, she stepped closer until they were only inches apart. She revelled in his obvious discomfort. "Well?" she asked quietly.

"I- I've actually been wanting to talk to you for a while," he finally managed to mutter.

Eponine blinked. It was now her turn to feel confused. "Why?"

This time, Enjolras had no problems answering. "You attend most of our meetings, and I'm curious about your opinions on what we discuss," he replied before taking what she could only assume was a vengeful dig. "Although the majority of your opinions are probably about Pontmercy."

Eponine smirked despite herself. "Touche, monsieur. But really, f you've wanted to talk to me for so long, why not simply approach me like a normal person? Then again, you're not even close to being a normal person are you?"

It as Enjolras' turn to smirk now. "Touche, mademoiselle-"

"Just Eponine, sil-vous-plait."

"Only if you simply call me Enjolras."

"Fine."

"Fine. And to answer your question, I couldn't think of a way to start a conversation with you. In case you haven't noticed, I don't typically associate with women."

"Oh, trust me, I've noticed," Eponine replied. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Have you even kissed a girl before?"

Enjolras' face suddenly turned very red, and he looked down. "Honestly, other than my mother, you're the only girl I've had any sort of actual conversation with."

"So that would be a 'no' then, right?" Eponine asked, smirking. He simply nodded. "Care to fix that?" she asked, leaning in so that their lips were only an inch apart. His only response was to take a step back and glare at her while she laughed hysterically. "OK, fine, never mind, forget that I said that," she finally managed to gasp out after several moments of laughter. He was still glaring.

"So, do you really want me to help you learn about how normal people live?" she asked, still grinning.

"Yes," he replied rather stiffly.

"Well, lesson one, lighten up for once," she said, half laughing. "Honestly, your constant stiffness and seriousness is very annoying."

"I almost hate to say it, but so is your occasional immaturity," Enjolras retorted.

"It's my way of coping with my nearly impossible life, after what you saw of my life last night I would expect you to understand!" Eponine retorted, her eyes once again blazing.

Enjolras shut his eyes and forced himself to be calm. "OK, think we both need to get a decent night's sleep and start over in the morning," he said as calmly as he could.

"Decent night's sleep?" Eponine asked. "Yeah, that's definitely going to happen."

"Yes, it is. Come on, we're going back to my flat."

"What?" Eponine's jaw dropped and she stared at him as if he had just grown two extra heads. "You're joking, right?"

"I never joke about anything," Enjolras replied. "Come on, let's go."

"Is this some sort of trick?" she asked, her eyes narrowed.

He shook his head. "No trick whatsoever."

She sighed. "Fine. But if you try anything-"

"I wouldn't dream of it," he replied.

"Good. Keep it that way, and we just might not regret this."


	3. Chapter 2

**Not very long, but not my main story, so it's not a problem in my opinion.**

Chapter 2

After a relatively awkward, but thankfully short, walk back to Enjolras' flat, Eponine found herself in the nicest room she'd been in years. Well, the nicest room she had been invited into in years. She'd been in a few nice rooms over the years, but on her father's orders, not with the owner's permission.

There were books everywhere, stacked on tables and shelves, one sitting on a couch. And there was a lot of paper as well, with notes scribbled on them. She raised an eyebrow skeptically. Considering that the flat belonged to Enjolras, she had been expecting it to be more... Organized.

She felt eyes watching her, and turned to see Enjolras looking at her rather closely.

"What are you staring at?" she demanded.

"Oh, sorry," Enjolras said quickly.

"Mhm?" She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him through narrowed eyes. He sighed.

"Come on, let's get you some food."

"I'm not hungry."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow at her. She was scrawny, hardly more than skin and bones. There was no way that she wasn't hungry.

"I'm used to not eating a lot."

"Just eat something!" he was trying his hardest not to yell at her. He had never realized that Marius' shadow was so... stubborn.

"Make me!"

"Fine!" He walked over, grabbed her wrist, and practically dragged her into the kitchen and all but shoved her into a chair before grabbing an apple, the first thing he spotted, and setting it in front of her. "At least have one bite!"

She raised an eyebrow. "No."

She had been in his home for less than ten minutes, and she was already beginning to wear on his patience. Then he saw that she was smirking, and he understood. She was playing with him. Testing hm to see just how far she could push him before he went over the edge. Well, two could play at that game.

"Yes," he retorted, nudging the apple closer before grabbing one of his own, bouncing it in his hand for a moment. He tried his hardest not to grin as she raised her eyes to look at him as he brought the apple to his mouth to take a bite. He was quite certain that she probably hadn't had anything so good and sweet as an apple in a long time, and if she saw him eating one and enjoying it, she'd eventually cave.

He bit into the the apple with an audible crunch, all that was needed to make the corner of Eponine's mouth twitch. He chewed slowly, watching her carefully, keeping his face as expressionless as possible. He could tell from her eyes that she had figured out what he was doing, and he struggled not to grin. The girl was clearly far more intelligent than Marius gave her credit for. But he knew that her resolve was dwindling at the opportunity to have good food for once. Her eyes fell back to her own apple for a moment before looking back up at him for a second, then her gaze shifted back to the apple and stayed there for a full minute before she finally picked it up.

Enjolras continued to watch her, waiting for her to take the first bite, but she continued to hesitate, even with the apple in her hand. Then, finally, she raised it to her mouth, shut her eyes, and bit, a look of pure joy suddenly crossing her stony face. Enjolras grinned briefly at the sight before quickly composing himself again. She finished the apple rather quickly after that first bite, then looked up at him, a glare darkening her face. He had won, and she knew it.

"What?" he asked innocently, and she scowled, standing.

"You may have won this time, but you won't next time!" she all but snarled. He smirked.

_We'll see about that._

* * *

With a final glare at Enolras, Eponine turned and stalked out of the kitchen, heading towards the couch. It was certainly well after midnight by then, and she rarely had a chance to get a decent amount of sleep, let alone somewhere as comfortable as a couch, so she was going to take advantage of it. He'd probably insist that she take the bed, but there was no way that was happening. He had already won the fight over food. He was not getting two out of two.

She picked up the book that was sitting there, meaning to move it so that she could curl up on the couch, and nearly dropped it from shock.

Enjolras had chosen that exact moment to leave the kitchen, and his eyes widened when he saw the book she had picked up.

"Really?" she asked, holding up the copy of _Armance_. "You read romance novels? _You_?"

His gaze suddenly turned deadly as he walked over to her. "Don't you _dare_ tell anyone," he practically growled before grabbing the book from her and walking away to his room, slamming the door shut.

She lifted an eyebrow. She had not been expecting that response. She had been expecting an argument about whether or not she would be sleeping on the couch. Apparently the book had ended that argument before it had begun. She grinned as she curled up on his couch.

"One point each. But tomorrow I'm going to win."


	4. Chapter 3

**Warning: Written with my focus being primarily on the foot that I seriously sprained.**

Chapter 3

The next morning, Eponine opened her eyes and let out an ear-piercing scream, making Enjolras, who was sitting in a chair, fully within her view, jump up and drop the book he had been reading to the ground.

Her eyes were wide with shock as she sat up on the couch, breathing heavily. Enjolras looked just as startled, yet his voice was calm as he spoke.

"Good morning to you too."

She was glaring viciously at him, yet still was clearly in shock. "Where am I?" she finally managed to ask.

Enjolras managed a smirk. "You really don't remember?"

She frowned.

"Last night you agreed to stay with me for the night." At those words, she remembered, and quickly relaxed.

"Right. Sorry about my reaction, I was expecting to see a dirt alley when I opened my eyes, not _you_." Her sharp tone of voice was deliberate, and she got exactly the reaction she had wanted.

Enjolras' eyes narrowed. "Is there something wrong with me?"

Eponine smirked. Just as she had planned from the second she had remembered the events of the night before, he had opened himself up to criticism. "Oh, where do I begin..?" Her voice trailed off as he groaned. "You asked for it!" she snapped, a small smile on her face.

She knew from his expression that he knew she was right, and that made her feel pleased with herself, and gave her a bit of satisfaction. So, she began the long list of things that were wrong with Enjolras.

"You are far too serious. Honestly, do you even _know_ the definition of the word 'fun'?" she began. That was all it took for Enjolras to drop his book. He stared at her, his mouth gaping like a dying fish. "Also, a little bit of drinking won't kill you! All of your friends do it. It's only when you drink as much as Grantaire that it begins to cause a problem. But really, a small drink once in a while won't kill you, although I guess that would fall under the 'fun' category." She was impressed with herself. His mouth was still hanging open, and his eyes were widening as his face began to turn pale. She had never seen him look like that before. He actually resembled a real human. "Furthermore, do you _ever_ smile? I mean, really. Show some emotion for once! It's no surprise why the others all call you the marble statue!"

She held back a laugh as a muscle in his cheek twitched. The fact that he was still gaping made him look incredibly ridiculous. She decided that was enough of a buildup for her best criticism.

She dropped the bomb. "And finally, what is your problem with women?" His face turned even paler, if that was even possible by that point. He clearly hadn't expected her to shoot insult after insult at him with barely a thought. She smirked briefly, and kept going.

"Really, we're not terrifying at all! What's the big deal? None of your friends have your issues, yet you say that other than your mother, I'm the only woman you've ever really spoken to! So what's your problem, Enjy? The fact that we have so many curves, for example, breasts-" she ended there, as he was clearly not paying attention any more. Rather, he was swaying back and forth slightly, his eyes fluttering. Within a second of her cutting herself off, he fainted.

He rolled her eyes. _Men_. So irrational. With a shrug, she walked over to make sure he was all right._ Score two for me._

Enjolras groaned when he opened his eyes to see Eponine kneeling beside him, loking at him in concern.

"You don't look so good," she commented.

"Now tell me something I don't know," he replied dryly.

"I just did, and look where that got you," she answered with a smirk. "Really, I think you should talk to Joly about your fear of women. Just talking about it made you pass out. Of course, the other criticisms of mine are probably partially to blame. But that was not at all the reaction I was expecting."

"You, mademoiselle, are somewhat insane I believe," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly as he sat up slowly.

"Do recall who my parents are, what else could you expect? A sane Thenardier? I don't believe that any of those exist," she said with a half-hearted laugh. He frowned at her bitter humour. She deserved better.

"Anyway, how's your head? You fell pretty hard when I made that comment about-"

"Don't even _think _about mentioning that again, sil-vous-plait."

"Again, you are far too serious, messieur."

"Just Enjolras, please."

"Then stop with the mademoiselle," she countered, her dark eyes once again showing life. He was happy to see her fiery spirit return so quickly. He had always admired it about her. Really, she was the only girl he hadn't been entirely afraid of. The thought brought back memories of Eponine's vicious attack that morning – which he really had asked for – so he shrugged it off, focusing on Eponine's words. "If I have to call you Enjolras, then you're calling me Eponine."

"Deal."

He noticed the smirk that had been seemingly plastered to her face since she had started her attack that morning. His eyes narrowed, and she raised an eyebrow in response. She had had a bit too much fun with that morning's attack. It was like she was looking for a fight.

So be it. If it was war she wanted, war was what she was going to get.


	5. Chapter 4

**I know it's a short chapter, but it is not my primary story, therefore, I don't care.**

Chapter 4

They managed to eat most of their breakfast without any problems, but then Courfeyrac showed up and made two big mistakes.

His first mistake was barging into Enjolras' flat without knocking. He simply opened the door and rushed in.

Naturally, when he saw Eponine there, with Enjolras, he was shocked. His mouth gaped open like a fish.

Enjolras looked up at him and smiled. "Good morning, Courfeyrac."

And that was when Courfeyrac made his second mistake: Commenting on Eponine's presence.

"You slept with Eponine?" Being Courfeyrac, that was, naturally, the first thought that had come to mind, and he hadn't considered the consequences of the words as he was too shocked. But he regretted it the moment he said it.

Eponine looked ready to murder him, and Enjolras looked like a fish out of water.

"That- that is what happened, right?" Courfeyrac asked, looking slightly intimidated by the somewhat murderous looking Eponine.

"No, that's about as far from the truth as you can get!" Eponine hissed, standing suddenly, her eyes blazing with fury and her hands balling up into fists. Courfeyrac quickly took an involuntary step back, his eyes suddenly wide with fear. Enjolras found himself suddenly resisting the urge to laugh at his friend that was so obviously terrified of the scrawny, dark haired girl, until she turned her glare on hi as he let out a small snort. In that moment, he decided that there was nothing on the Earth more terrifying than a highly pissed-off Eponine.

"In which case, what is the truth?" Courfeyrac asked timidly.

Enjolras shrugged. "She needed a place to stay. I offered-"

"You practically dragged me here and then forced me to eat!"

Enjolras narrowed his eyes at her, stubbornly refusing to let her intimidate him. That first time a moment before had caught him off guard, but he was ready now. "You were starving."

"I'm always starving! Your point is?"

Courfeyrac cleared his throat rather loudly, distracting them from their argument. "I'm just going to go now. I'll see you at the cafe later Enjolras. Eponine," he said, nodding to the two before scurrying out of the flat with a last nervous glance over his shoulder as though he were afraid Eponine was going to go after him and kill him.

Once he was gone, Enjolras looked at her, amusement in his eyes. "I don't think I've ever seen Courfeyrac so frightened. I must say, his reaction was the most hilarious thing I've ever seen."

At those words, Eponine suddenly looked and felt rather pleased with herself. "I do tend to have that effect on people," she replied with a grin. She held out her hand. "Truce?"

Enjolras nodded, taking her hand in his and shaking it. "Truce."

Neither one was willing to admit to the sudden feeling they had at the contact.


	6. Chapter 5

**Another short chapter, but, again, I don't really care. I'm mostly just trying to show a different side of Enjolras, and it's going to take a few short chapters to eventually show it. Sure, he's hard and cold around his friends, but it is quite possible that it is a mask, and on the inside, he's soft and awkward. That's the Enjolras I'm trying to portray, and now I feel like I'm making pitiful excuses for my short chapters, so I'll stop now. I'll try to make the next one longer!**

Chapter 5

They were just about to leave the flat and head to the cafe when a crashing sound interrupted them. They turned around, and Eponine found herself staring into a pair of bright amber eyes from across the room.

"You have a cat?" she asked, but Enjolras was ignoring her and yelling at the cat.

"Robespierre, get down from there!"

"Prrp," was the cat only response as the fluffy white cat that more resembled a cotton ball with legs, eyes and a tail than an actual living creature sat on the table which he had just jumped on and began to lick a paw.

"You named your cat after a psychopath?"

"Robespierre was not a psychopath, he was a genius! And trust me, that cat deserves the name- Patria, not you too!"

Eponine turned her head to see a lithe, ginger tabby shoot across teh room, onto the table, and tackle the puff-ball.

"Two cats? Patria and Robespierre? Why am I not surprised?" Eponine sighed as Enjolras walked over and tried to separate the two cats that were now hissing and spitting at each other. She raised an eyebrow as Patria, who was clearly not happy about being dragged away from her fight with Robespierre, turned to try to scratch Enjolras across the face.

"They don't really get along for some reason," he explained quickly.

"Do your friends know about the cats?"

"Yes. Oddly, they had a similar reaction to the one you just had."

"Again, why am I not surprised?" Eponine said sarcastically.

"I fail to see what the problem is," Enjolras said as they left the flat.

"You do realize that you once said that Patria was your mistress and one of your cats is named Patria, right?" Eponine asked as he locked his door. He stopped and stared at her for a moment.

"Don't even think about mentioning that to the others."

"Why? Do you have a secret relationship with your cat?"

"Of course not!"

"Because if you do, that would explain your issues with women."

"Eponine, do not start this again..."

"I still can't believe you actually fainted last night."

"We are not having this conversation right now."

"Why not? Is the marble statue embarrassed?"

"I'm trying to focus on what I'm going to be talking about with Les Amis, and you are distracting me!"

"Now you're just making excuses."

"Eponine..."

"See? You don't even have a decent response to that! I win!" Eponine laughed proudly, lifting her head high.

"Who said this was a contest?" Enjolras retorted.

"I did!"

"When?"

"Just now."

They stopped walking, at stared at each other. Neither of them had ever met anyone quite like the other, and neither one was sure quite how to feel about it. Enjolras was startled to find that he could actually talk to her without feeling entirely uncomfortable and getting tongue-tied, which was the case for him with every other woman save for his mother. Eponine found that she actually felt safe around him, even more so than around Marius. The only other people she had ever felt so safe and comfortable with were her brother and sister.

After a moment, Eponine smiled. "Come on, we'd better get to the cafe before Courfeyrac convinces the others that I've killed you."

Enjolras grinned in response. Eponine felt pleased with herself. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen him smile, yet he had for her. It gave her a sense of triumph that she had forgotten she could feel. Perhaps the Marble Statue wasn't so bad, and maybe marble could be cracked.


	7. Chapter 6

**Told you this chapter would be longer. Enjoy! Oh, and I never mentioned this earlier, but Eponine in this is Samantha Barks, and Enjolras is Jon Robyns from the 25 anniversary London production. He's the Enjolras on the first cast recording of Les Mis I ever owned (my mom's OBC doesn't count because it is my mom's, not mine).**

Chapter 6

"So why _do_ you have a cat names Patria?" Eponine asked. The thought had been driving her crazy for the past five minutes on the walk to the cafe. "For you, wouldn't that be like sacrilege or something?"

Enjolras sighed. "That would be Grantaire's fault. Last Christmas he showed up drunk at the cafe with a stray kitten that he had grabbed off the streets or something, and, of course, it was the nastiest kitten anyone had ever met, his face was already covered in scratches and his hands were full of bite marks, all from that one little kitten, and he said he had named it Patria and that she was a Christmas gift for me. That was only about a week after I had first declared that Patria was my mistress, so the thought was already fresh in their minds, so they all thought it was the funniest thing ever."

"And you just accepted it?" Eponine asked, shocked.

"Yes, I figured that another cat would be good company for Robespierre, who I'd already had for about a year, and I did try to change the kitten's name, but Grantaire was there frequently referring to her as Patria, so Patria kind of stuck unfortunately. And it didn't take long for her to put Robespierre in his place, despite him having been there first. The name rather suits her," he said with a rueful smile.

"So Grantaire gave you the most violent cat in all of Paris?" Eponine asked. "Are you sure he wasn't hoping that the kitten would kill you?"

Enjolras glared at her, but didn't say anything.

"Wait, if Les Amis already know about the Patria being your mistress, and you having a cat named Patria, why am I not allowed to mention it and hint at you having a secret relationship with a cat?"

Enjolras scowled in response. "They clued into that the second Grantaire named that kitten, and it took forever to get them to stop. Over a month, in fact. We are _not_ going through that again."

Eponine struggled not to laugh. "Who knew that you were so sensitive?"

Enjolras turned to glare at her. "You, mademoiselle, are the most infuriating woman I have ever met!"

"Oh, not so friendly now, are we?" Eponine commented, raising an eyebrow, her tone only half sarcastic.

"You haven't exactly given me a reason to be friendly to you; ever since you woke up this morning, it has just been one thing after the other-"

"I am _not_ entirely to blame, part of it was Courfeyrac's fault," she snapped. Enjolras' nose twitched slightly at that, reminding her of a rabbit, and she knew that he had realized she was right. However, at the same time, he had taken her in the night before, and given her food, and she had responded by outright attacking him.

She sighed. "OK, so maybe I did cross a line earlier. I'm sorry," she said, entirely honest.

Enjolras' head snapped around, his eyes wide with surprise. "That was not at all what I expected, I had heard from Marius that you were at least as stubborn as I am, something that I saw proof of last night," he commented, a smirk beginning to cross his face. "Is it possible that I've already beaten you?"

Her jaw dropped in surprise. "First off, you took me in last night and I didn't exactly behave all that nicely. Secondly, who said it was a contest?" she retorted.

He smirked. "I did, just now," he replied, using her exact words from earlier.

She smiled and laughed as they made their way to the door of the cafe. "This looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship," she teased before opening the door and letting herself in.

Enjolras sighed. He wasn't entirely sure how he had landed himself in this situation with Eponine Thenardier, but, somehow, he didn't regret it.

* * *

The meeting was no different from every other. Enjolras made a speech that everyone was amazed by, punctuated with the occasional drunken outburst from Grantaire while Eponine kept her gaze primarily on Marius, although she would occasionally glance up at Enjolras to show that she was still listening, followed by happy conversations between everyone.

Courfeyrac cautiously approached Enjolras shortly after his speech, his eyes occasionally darting towards Eponine who was happily talking to Marius with a dreamy expression on her face.

"So, exactly what happened between you and Eponine last night?" he asked.

Enjolras sighed and looked up from the book he had been trying to focus on. "Nothing happened. It was cold out last night, and she needed somewhere to go. And it only takes a single glance to see that she's clearly starving."

"Maybe so, but she is certainly an attractive young woman, and no matter how much we joke about you being marble, you are still a man-"

"It isn't like that Courfeyrac. France as a whole is more important than an individual-"

"But this is the first time you've actually spoken to a woman that is not a relative, and you've never allowed any other gamin into your home, except for Gavroche. So what is it about her?" Courfeyrac asked.

Enjolras sighed. "Promise me that you won't tell anyone else?" he asked.

"You have my word," Courfeyrac vowed.

Enjolras glanced away to ensure no one else was listening, and lowered his voice. "The night before last, I was walking with Marius, and we ran to Eponine and a member of her father's gang. He was assaulting her. I'm assuming that it has happened before. Her father is the ring leader of the Patron-Minette, Courfeyrac, there is no way that home is safe for her. And you've heard how Gavroche talks about their father. After seeing for myself how she is treated, there was no way I could just let her go back to that."

By the time he had finished, Courfeyrac was smirking at him. Enjolras narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"You might not like it, mon ami, but I do believe that you care for Eponine more than you are letting one. Face it, 'Ras, you're falling for her."

Enjolras looked indignant. "I most certainly am not."

Courfeyrac shook his head, chuckling to himself as he turned to walk away. "You keep telling yourself that.

Enjolras sighed and ran a hand through his wavy blond hair. He glanced at Eponine who was smiling as she spoke with Marius. Could he be falling for her? No, there was no way. Sure, she had always fascinated him, but that was because she was different from all the bourgeois girls he was used to. She actually had a real personality. She was brave, kind, strong, witty, and stubborn. All characteristics that he valued. Maybe Courfeyrac was actually right... But no. There was no way he could be falling for Eponine. There were more important things to worry about than what he may or may not be feeling towards some girl, even if the girl was Eponine. Besides. She was far too interested in Marius to notice anyone else, anyway.


	8. Chapter 7

**Oh my God, I am SO embarrassed! I literally just want to die right now! I am SOO sorry you guys! I can't believe I uploaded the wrong chapter! What you got last night was actually from the third part of Eponine's Tale! Apparently in my rush, I accidentally selected the wrong document without noticing! PLEASE DON'T HATE ME! *hides in shame***

Chapter 7

Enjolras scowled and set down the book. Everyone else had left the cafe and it was just Eponine and himself now. And Eponine wouldn't stop humming.

"La la la la la la la la," she sang softly to herself.

"Will you please stop that?" Enjolras asked, annoyance obvious in his tone.

"What, do you find my voice annoying?" she asked, a smirk crossing her face.

"When I'm trying to focus, yes," he replied.

She scowled, but remained silent.

"What were you humming or singing or whatever, anyway?" Enjolras asked after a while.

She looked up, surprised. "Just some song that a girl who used to live with my family used to sing all the time. I've forgotten the words, but I remember the tune." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Something about castles and clouds."

Enjolras nodded, then returned to his book. Everything was silent for a while before Eponine spoke again.

"We never did have that conversation you were wanting last night, Enjolras. You know, about being how normal people live."

Enjolras looked up, surprised. He had forgotten about the conversation they had begun that had resulted in her spending the previous night at his flat. "I'd forgotten about that, actually," he admitted.

"Do you still want me to teach you?" she asked with a smirk.

He sighed. Why not? He may as well, what was the worst thing that could happen? "I suppose," he said cautiously.

She grinned. "Good. Since your experience is apparently so lacking, we'll start by teaching you about women." And with that, she crossed the room, pulled the book out of his hands, perched herself on his lap and kissed him, full on the lips.

His eyes widened in shock. He had never kissed anyone before, except for relatives. Nor had he ever had someone sit on him before. He was incredibly startled by the whole thing, but what startled him the most was that he actually found that he... liked it.

Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and her lips were surprisingly soft and warm. He started to wrap his arms around her waist, but then he remembered. This was _Eponine_, Marius' shadow, a gamine. Eponine Thenardier, the scrawny girl from the streets who had spent the past two days doing nothing but frustrating him. He instantly pulled away and lifted her off of him.

She raised an eyebrow. "Too much for you?"

He couldn't think of anything to say at first, he was still shocked that she had actually kissed him. But, eventually, he found his voice.

"Was that really necessary?"

She smirked in response, her eyes narrowing slightly, and he instantly felt even more annoyed.

"Your experience with women is very lacking, so yes, it was necessary."

"Except for that it meant _nothing_ to you!" he retorted, raising his voice as he stood, very close to glaring at her. "You are so caught up in your obsession with Marius that you don't even stop to consider the feelings of others!" She raised an eyebrow, visibly confused. He scowled. "My friends may all say that I'm a marble statue, but that isn't true. I do have feelings, and I-" he cut himself off, too frustrated to speak clearly, or even think clearly.

She suddenly looked extremely guilty and upset, and he didn't doubt that she was remembering the romance novel she had seen in his flat the night before.

"I'm sorry," she whispered softly.

Sighing, he ran his hand through his thick, curly blond hair. "I should probably head back home."

She nodded silently. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," she said quietly.

He looked at her sharply. "What are you talking about?"

She gazed at him, curious and confused. "Surely you don't want me to go home with you after I-"

He raised an eyebrow. "Just because I'm a bit angry and highly frustrated with you doesn't mean I'm going to let you stay out on the street where that creep from the other night can hurt you again. What kind of monster do you take me for?"

Her jaw dropped as she stared at him, not speaking. She just looked at him, disbelief in her eyes. After a moment, she finally managed to speak again.

"You're joking. Surely you're joking. You can't possibly mean that!" Her dark eyes were wide with surprise.

"Of course I mean it, Eponine," he replied. Why wouldn't she believe him?

She glanced at the ground. "No one has ever been so kind to me," she said quietly, seeming to have read his mind. "Not even Marius."

Even Marius hadn't treated her as well as he had in the past two days alone. He felt an odd sort of satisfaction at that fact, but he couldn't explain why. No doubt Courfeyrac's implication from earlier was messing with his mind. That had to be it. Nevertheless, his gaze softened, and he managed to smile at her.

"Well, I'm not like other people, as you've probably noticed. Come on, let's go. I think we could both do with a good meal and a decent night's sleep."

She smiled and stood, following him out of the café.

Enjolras wasn't sure how he was staying so calm. If it had been anyone else, he was certain that he would have been anything but calm. He probably would have yelled and terrified whatever other poor girl would have tried to kiss him, but not Eponine. He suspected it was because of what he had seen two nights ago, when Montparnasse had been with her.

"Why me?" Eponine asked suddenly, so softly he almost didn't hear her.

"Pardon?" he asked, not bothering to turn to look at her. He might have developed a soft spot for her after that night when Montparnasse had been after her, but she had still damaged his pride when she had kissed him less than ten minutes before.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" she asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him around to face her. Her strength startled her. He had expected her to be weaker, as she was starving.

He narrowed his eyes. He wasn't entirely sure of his reasoning himself, but there was no way he was going to let her realize that. So he said the first thing that made sense to him that he could think of. "You may be ridiculously annoying and infuriating, but you are still a person, a person that I am well acquainted with by now, and it would be wrong for me to leave you on the street. Not to mention that your brother and Marius would have my head if something happened to you, although probably for different reasons."

"What do you mean, 'different reasons'?" Eponine demanded, her eyes suddenly flashing.

"Obviously Gavroche cares more about you as a person than Marius does," Enjolras replied without stopping to think about his words. Eponine raised an eyebrow at his words, and began to open her mouth to comment, but he kept speaking. "You can't have _not_ noticed that he only ever really pays attention to you when he needs you to do something for him, such as deliver a letter. He is simply taking advantage of you Eponine! He didn't even try to intervene the other night!"

Eponine flinched at his words, but only slightly. He noticed the resigned look in her eyes, and realized that she knew he was right. "I know. I know where I stand with Marius, but I have to believe that someday, he will see me, and realize how I feel, and maybe he will feel the same way then. I have to believe that, Enjolras, it's the only thing that makes this Hell of a life worthwhile."

He stared at her, barely able to believe what she had just told him. She laughed bitterly at his expression.

"Not that I'd expect a Marble Statue such as yourself to understand such feelings. You do nothing but fight for a country that is never going to follow you or repay you," she told him, her eyes darkening.

"The people will rise," he replied firmly.

"The people are scared," Eponine replied instantly. "They live their lives day to day, fighting to live. They can't afford to look for the long term effects; they see nothing but the short term. And the short term effects of your revolution will be nothing but death. They won't throw their lives away and abandon their families, Enjolras. You will stand alone, and you will die."

Enjolras was about to answer her, but a vaguely familiar voice interrupted him, making Eponine stiffen.

"Well, it would appear we meet again, pretty boy. Are you the one who's been hiding my 'Ponine?"

"Go away, 'Parnasse," the girl hissed, turning to glare at him. "You may think that because you pay my father for me nearly every night you own me, but the truth is you don't."

"Well tonight is one of those nights, Ponine. You're coming with me."

"She's not going anywhere with you," Enjolras replied firmly, stepping in between the gamine and the assassin. "Leave her alone."

Montparnasse raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Are you that determined to mess up your face, pretty boy?"

Eponine quickly shoved Enjolras out of the way. "Forget him, 'Parnasse, like I said the other night, he's just a stupid little bourgeois boy. He's one of them silly revolutionaries that's trying to change France."

Enjolras felt a pang of jealousy in his stomach as Eponine smiled at Montparnasse. He knew she was just saying things to get the other man to leave him alone, but her words did hurt, especially since she'd said them before. Maybe he'd spent too much time listening to Jehan's poetry.

Montparnasse scowled. "I really don't see why you spend so much time around them, 'Ponine. Are you expecting them to take pity on you?"

The dark haired girl tossed her head back, and Enjolras could see the pride in her eyes. "I don't need _anyone's_ pity, 'Parnasse. I can take care of myself." Her eyes darkened then. "And just so you know, this one's friends are all in the area. You can handle him alone, I'm sure, but not with his friends. One scream, and they'd all come running, I can guarantee you that. So why don't you just back off and find yourself a nice whore for tonight instead?" she suggested, stepping closer, her voice suddenly deadly. Even though the words weren't directed at him, he still found himself feeling nervous, and he decided instantly that he didn't want to get on Eponine's bad side.

Montparnasse, on the other hand, seemed almost unfazed. "Fine. But you owe me, 'Ponine," he growled. "And don't you forget it."

"I know well enough by now what happens when someone crosses you, 'Parnasse, and I'd rather not get my throat slit, so you don't have to worry about me forgetting," she replied, her face nearly entirely expressionless.

Montparnasse slunk back into the shadows then, and Eponine turned back to Enjolras, who found himself in awe of the scrawny, dark-haired gamine. He shook his head, forcing himself to think straight.

"Come on, let's get back to my flat," he said quickly. "Just in case he changes his mind."

"He won't, but I agree. I can handle him well enough, but the rest of my father's gang are impossible to bargain with," Eponine told him. "Especially my father himself. It'll be far safer there. We should hurry."

Enjolras nodded, and the two hurried back, not speaking another word until they were safe inside.


	9. Chapter 8

**So... Hi there, long time no see. Sorry this took so long. I put down my excuse in the author's note for the last chapter of Eponine's Tale part three, and a lot of you read that, too, so I see no point in repeating myself. Life got in the way. Deal with it. Also, I apologize again for the earlier screw up on the last chapter. The right chapter is up now, and has been since May, but just in case you never read the real one, I'm letting you know. To make up for the really long wait, the chapter is really long. So enjoy.**

Chapter 8

_A young girl in a blue hat smiled as she entered the inn that her parents owned, her long dark curls cascading down her back and framing her face perfectly. She smirked as she saw her mother scolding the scrawny, dirty, blonde girl who lived with them. The Lark was in trouble again._

_"Like mother like daughter, the scum of the street!" her mother was yelling._

_"Mama!" she called happily, and her mother's attention quickly shifted to her._

_"Eponine, come my dear Eponine, let me see you. You look very well in that little blue hat!" her mother praised, kneeling to shower her daughter with affection. "There's some little girls who know how to behave, and they know what to wear, and I'm saying thank heaven for that!" Eponine smirked at Cosette, who was looking at her with an expression that betrayed the slightest bit of envy, and her mother followed her gaze. As her mother locked her eyes on Cosette, her expression turned from one of adoration to one of high irritation._

_"Still there, Cosette?" she asked viciously, and the little blonde girl looked like she was about to cry. "Your tears will do you no good!" her mother snapped, becoming angry as she started to walk towards the Lark. "I told you fetch some water from the well in the wood!"_

_Cosette shrank back slightly. "Please do not send me out alone," she begged. "Not in the darkness all alone!"_

_"Enough of that!" her mother roared. "Or I'll forget to be nice," she said, a little more sweetly, but in a mocking way. Her eyes narrowed. "You heard me ask for something and I never ask twice…"_

Eponine shot upright, her heart racing. It was dark, very dark. It had all been a dream, nothing more. She was safe here… But where exactly _was_ here? A quick glance around the dark room told her that she was at Enjolras' home again, and based on how comfortable the surface she had been sleeping on was, she was in his bed.

Memories from earlier suddenly came rushing back like the tide. She and Enjolras had been debating the revolution he was planning when they had run into Montparnasse, and the blonde man had insisted that she return to his flat where she would apparently be safe. Having been too tired to argue, she had agreed. Well, she wasn't tired anymore, so she was going to leave.

It had been kind of Enjolras to let her stay, but she didn't belong there. And there was no way she was going to continue to take his bed while he slept on the couch. It wasn't right.

Besides, she didn't need charity, nor did she need his pity. Silent as a shadow, she left the room, and saw Enjolras fast asleep on the couch. She felt a brief moment of guilt for leaving without saying goodbye or thanking him properly, but quickly dismissed it. He wouldn't let her leave if he were awake, she just knew it. He'd keep trying to be noble.

She took another step, and heard a meow, which startled her. Patria was right in front of her. The small, slender ginger tabby was gazing up at her, bright emerald eyes glowing.

"Patria, shh," Eponine hissed, glancing nervously at the couch. Enjolras had, mercifully, remained fast asleep.

"Mow," was the cat's only response before stretching.

Eponine sighed, rolled her eyes, and went to take another step. Unfortunately, Patria had decided to start winding herself between Eponine's feet while continuing to meow.

"Stupid cat," she muttered just as Robespierre decided to join in, which resulted in the two cats decided to fight.

Eponine felt her heart sink in her chest as the two cats hissed and spat at each other. There was no way Enjolras was going to sleep through that. She was proven right when moments later, Enjolras sat up and stared at her.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, surprisingly alert for having just woken up. She briefly recalled the times Les Amis had referred Enjolras as not being human. Perhaps they had been right.

"Back where I belong," she replied without a moment's hesitation.

"Which would be back to bed to sleep, right?" he said, narrowing his eyes disapprovingly.

"No, the streets, genius," she replied, not amused.

Enjolras narrowed his eyes at her. "Very funny. Back to bed, now."

Eponine blinked and folded her arms across her chest. "I've stayed here long enough, Enjolras. I need to go home."

"The streets hardly count as a home, Eponine. Home is supposed to be safe, and the streets are not safe."

"But they're all I have, and it's all I know. They are home for me, but I wouldn't expect someone as sheltered as you to understand that!"

Enjolras stared at her, unsure of what to say in response. The scrawny gamine rolled her eyes in annoyance and started forward again, but Enjolras stopped her, grabbing her arm.

"Enjolras, let me go, I don't belong here-"

"You don't belong on the streets, Eponine, no one does!"

Eponine hissed in annoyance, and yanked her arm free before whirling around to slap him. "You can't tell me what to do, now let me go back to what I know!" she yelled before turning and leaving, slamming the door behind her, and leaving behind a rather shocked and confused Enjolras.

She was still annoyed with him two days later as she made her way to the café after having slept curled in a ball in an alley.

While most would have found sleeping in such conditions appalling, Eponine had taken comfort in the familiarity of the cold, hard ground. Enjolras' bed had been too soft and too warm, to the point where it had felt unnatural. Sleeping in it had brought her a strange pain, as it had also reminded her of the fact that had her life been different, and her parents had not lost their money, she would have always had a warm bed to sleep in. Being in one had not only felt unnatural, but it had been hurtful as well.

She wasn't sure that she wanted to face Enjolras again so soon, but she just _had_ to go to the café. Marius would be there, and she had spent the past couple of days avoiding him and his friends after her small argument with Enjolras. Her heart leaped and soared at the thought of Marius, the man that she loved. He was thoughtful, kind, and had been her first friend. Falling in love with him had been easy. He was everything that Enjolras wasn't. _Although he never offered to let you stay with him,_ her mind reminded her. She shrugged the thought off. _It's good that Marius has never asked me to stay with him,_ she told herself. _It means he respects my independence, and he doesn't pity me._

She sighed as she reached the door of the café. It was a nice day, as it was the end of May, so she wasn't sure that Marius would be there, but it was worth a look. Tentatively, she opened the door and stepped inside. Marius wasn't there, but some of his friends were. Thankfully, Enjolras was not among them.

"Hello," one of them said, looking up at her and smiling.

"Oh, um, hi," she said, feeling slightly awkward since she didn't know who he was. She'd only ever really paid attention to Marius, Enjolras, Grantaire, Courfeyrac, and Joly; Marius because she loved him, Enjolras because he was the one who was almost always speaking, the drunk because, well, he was hard not to notice, Courfeyrac had flirted with her the first time she had followed Marius to the café, and Joly stood out rather easily, being as paranoid as he was. Of course, she rationalized, she'd only been visiting the café for a few weeks, and there were ten of them, including Marius, she couldn't possibly have learned all of their names yet. _Especially since you never speak to them unless you have to, you just come to see Marius_. "I was just looking for Marius."

"Ah, yes you're Marius' shadow," said the man the other one had been talking to. He seemed less friendly than the first.

"Bahorel, be nice," the first one had said. "I'm Combeferre, and this is Bahorel. Don't mind him, he's just cranky because he lost a fight and he's used to winning. Eponine, right?"

"Yes, anyway, I should probably be going," she said, feeling slightly uncomfortable and doing her best to commit their names to memory, just in case she needed to remember them again later.

"All right, I'll let Marius know you were looking for him. It was nice to finally have a conversation with you, even if it was rather short," Combeferre said, still smiling. "I assume we will be seeing you again later?"

Eponine smiled in spite of herself. "Probably. It was nice meeting you, and merci." She left quickly without looking back, and began wandering through Paris.

She doubted that she would see Marius for a while, since he hadn't been at the café. She figured that he probably had a class, and if that was the case, he would be busy for at least an hour.

As she wandered, she did her best to avoid her father and his gang. In the past few days, the only time she had seen any of them was during her run-in with Montparnasse when she had been with Enjolras. She'd been avoiding them on purpose, as she had wanted to stay away from them.

She had grown sick of being a part of their scams and wanted to make her own life. _Hopefully that life will be with Marius,_ she thought, beginning to imagine their life together, losing track of time.

She was pulled out her daydreams by a strong hand grabbing her arm, snapping her back into reality. She scowled as she saw the face of the man who had grabbed her.

"What do you want, 'Parnasse?" she asked in annoyance.

"I'm happy to see you too, 'Ponine," Montparnasse said with a smirk. "Your father wants you."

"Of course he does," Eponine replied, rolling her eyes.

"He wants you_ now_, you're coming with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Eponine replied, trying to tug her arm free, but Montparnasse's grip was too strong.

"Actually, you are, now let's go," the assassin replied before dragging her away. Eponine made a mental note to make sure Montparnasse knew exactly how unimpressed she was with him later. It didn't take long for them to reach her mother, father and the rest of the gang. When he saw her, Thenardier smirked.

"So you found her, 'Parnasse? Good job. It's about time she was brought back to where she belongs," he said, glaring at his daughter.

Eponine was furious. Where she belonged? "This is _not_ where I belong!" she hissed.

Eponine's mother glared at her. "You've spent so much time around those bourgeois boys that you think you're one of them now, is that it? You think you're better than the rest of us, do you? Well, that's not the case, missy, this is where we are, and this where you belong, too."

Eponine instantly recalled the dream she'd had the night she'd left Enjolras' apartment. _'like mother like daughter, the scum of the street'_. "Of course," she sneered. "Like mother like daughter, the scum of the street, right?" she spat. In her opinion, the slap across the cheek that the remark earned her was more than worth it to see the expression of outrage on her mother's face.

Her father's attention quickly shifted soon after to whatever plan he had. He cared so little for his daughter that after slapping her, he could quickly forget her. Eponine had learned that long ago. "Now, everyone here? You know your place, Brujon, Babet, Claquesous?" The three thieves nodded, and her father turned his attention back to her and Montparnasse. "You Montparnasse, watch for the law with Eponine," he said before turning to his wife. "Take care you turn on the tears. No mistakes!"

Eponine rolled her eyes. She wanted no part in this. She just wanted to find Marius. With a sigh, she turned to go with Montparnasse to keep watch, but her mother's next words stopped her.

"These bloody students on our streets, here they come, slumming once again!" the haggish woman cackled. "Our Eponine would kiss their feet: she never had a scrap of brain."

The sight of Marius dulled the sharp sting of fury that her mother's comment on her intelligence normally would have brought. Happily, she ran up behind her beloved and tapped him on the shoulder.

Marius turned and smiled when he saw her. "Hey Eponine, what's up today? I haven't seen you much about," he said good-naturedly. Eponine saw Enjolras not far off, looking at her disapprovingly.

"Here you can always catch me in," she replied happily. She couldn't help but be happy around him. He was everything to her. A small, rational part of her whispered that it was foolish to centre all of her happiness on one person, that it would cause more harm than good, but she couldn't help it. He was her sun, and she could do nothing but revolve around him.

"Mind the police don't catch you out," he warned, shattering a small fragment of her happiness as he painfully reminded her of where she stood.

Below him. That was where she was. A gamine while he was a bourgeois. Well aware that Enjolras watching her with a frown, she changed the subject, snatching away several of Marius' law books. "'Ere, what do you do with all these books?" she asked, opening one and trying to read it. The marks on the pages made no sense to her, but she was hardly about to let him know that. "I could've been a student, too!" she boasted as Marius attempted to take the books back and she hid them behind her back. "Don't judge a girl on how she looks, I know a lot of things, I do!"

Marius laughed, trying to get the books back. "You had it opened upside down," he told her, and Eponine felt her cheeks start to burn. "Poor Eponine, the things you know you wouldn't find in books like these."

Enjolras shot her a look that distinctly said '_why? Why do you put yourself through all of this pain for someone who clearly couldn't care less?'_

Frustrated and embarrassed, she tried to change the subject again. "I like the way you grow your hair," she said as sweetly as she could.

"I like the way you always tease," Marius replied, finally succeeding in getting his books back.

_Little he knows, little he sees_, Eponine thought sadly.

"Here's the old boy, stay on the job, and watch out for the law!" Eponine heard her mother say.

Marius looked at her, confused.

"Stay out of this," she insisted, trying to push him away.

"But Eponine-" he started, but she cut him off.

"You'll be in trouble here! It's not your concern, you'll be in the clear!" She shoved him and turned to run back to where she was supposed to be watching for the law, but Marius grabbed her wrist.

"Who is that man?" he asked, clearly referring to the man that was heading towards her parents and their gang.

"Leave me alone!" she hissed, yanking her wrist free.

"Why is he here?" but Eponine was already running away. "Hey, Eponine!" She ducked behind a wall and turned to look back at him. He had bumped into some girl – a beautiful blonde – and was staring at her as if he had seen a ghost. "I didn't see you there, forgive me," he said. His voice sounded odd though, and his expression-

_Oh God, no. Please no. Please don't let him be falling love with her!_ Eponine could feel her heart racing. She couldn't lose Marius, she couldn't! He was all she had!

She forced herself to calm down. She was supposed to be watching for the police. She supposed that she could always run away from her parents again, but then they would find her and beat her. She decided that it was probably best to just do as they asked for now at least. Marius was clearly interested in beautiful young bourgeois women. If she was covered in bruises, that would hardly attract him. Unless it attracted his sympathy! That could work! All it would cost her was her dignity, and she had already done things far worse, so it wasn't like she really had any dignity left to lose. She sighed and shook her head. She had to focus.

She got her attention back just in time to see Javert headed their way. She sighed a quick prayer of thanks that she had managed to notice in time to run back towards the gang.

"It's the police, disappear!" She yelled. "Run for it! It's Javert!" Most of the gang members scattered in time, but her parents weren't so lucky. She herself only just managed to duck in an alley on time.

As she stood there, watching, she saw Marius and the blond girl exchanging secret glances. Did they even know each other's names?

There was something familiar about the girl though, and as she finally managed to see the girl's face – in particular, her eyes – she remembered. She had seen those eyes before, years earlier, and they continued to haunt her occasionally in her dreams. They were the eyes of the Lark. _Cosette._

Marius was falling for Cosette, and it appeared that the Lark was already returning his feelings. _Oh, no you don't,_ she thought darkly. _You will not take him from me. You won't take away the one bit of happiness I have. He is mine. If you take him away from me, I will never forgive you._


End file.
